You've Been Rejected
by For the Kingdom
Summary: Given Otto's recent failures and annoying conscience, the actuators decide to leave him out of the decision-making process. Impossible? Obviously not. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
1. Power Struggles

A/N: Dear reader, in case you haven't heard, I re-read some of my Spiderman stories last week and was appalled by their...well... terribleness. Given, I was six years younger, but still. I know several of you were fond of them and I thought it was a shame how poorly my tribute to Doc Ock and Spiderman did them justice. All that to say, I am revamping probably all of my Spiderman stories, but especially this one and _The Arms_. Changing as little as possible, but as much as is necessary. If you read these before, please review and tell me how the new versions compare. So far, chapter one of _You've Been Rejected_ is the only one up, so there is a huge writing style gap between it and the rest of the story. I am steadily revamping, though, so fear not! Anyway, enough of that. I hope you enjoy this revisit to our favorite tentacled physicist.

* * *

Chapter One

The tentacles nudged their master's cold, wet body. It had taken longer than ideal for human lungs for the actuators to drag their unconscious host onto the broken edge of the dock that had snapped off from the destroyed warehouse. With a hard thrust of the lower right actuator against his chest, their master had coughed and spluttered water onto the wood and then gone back into inactivity. But Otto was still alive: the actuators could feel his heartbeat and brain activity. However, both were the lowest they had ever experienced.

_Please wake up._

_He'll freeze if he lies here much longer, _stated the top right tentacle as it shone a red light through the fog of midnight onto Otto's face.

No response.

_We need to get him to warmth or he'll go offline._

_And we will too._

Desperate for a warm place in which to lie Otto, they set him under a street light overlooking the river. But he did not stir, even when they lifted him close to the bulb. The top right's motherboard worked furiously for new options.

_Electric circuits are warm._

_But humans cannot stand that much heat._

_What do humans use when they're cold?_

A loud gasp alerted the actuators and the top two focused in on a woman at a bus stop. She pressed herself into the back of the little shelter, eyes wide and mouth agape. Up the street came a larger and louder than normal automobile and when the actuators looked up, they saw that it was a bus.

The actuators quickly ducked Otto behind a parked car and watched. They could feel the heat emanating from inside the large vehicle. The side doors opened and the woman at the bus stop quickly jumped inside.

They had found their solution.

_Cars have an automatic heat source._

They came out from hiding and lumbered into the street. Cars screeched to a halt and screams set the air aflame. One actuator held the van they selected firmly by the front bumper and the other two tore the passenger's side door off and flung it into the river. The human driver dove out the other side and disappeared down the street, dodging death by panicked drivers. The tentacles eased their master into the van and the top left carefully turned the heat up to full power.

They huddled around him, monitoring his vitals and waiting for him to revive.

* * *

Otto's mind was a swirling darkness with bright sunspots behind his eyelids. A murmuring in the back…

_His brain waves are approaching normal functionality._

_He is conscious._

It took him a moment, but Otto realized what those voices were. It can't be, he thought. When he opened his eyes, he saw four red lights shining down at him.

_Are you still alive?_

_We were worried._

_If you died, we all would have died._

"I guess I am alive," Otto admitted in surprise, looking himself over and taking in his odd surroundings.

He was sitting in the passenger seat of a minivan in an abandoned street – what street in New York City is every abandoned? Oh. Police cars formed a barrier, with caution tape, an armored containment vehicle, a helicopter, and policemen keeping the crowds back. His actuators were as subtle as Godzilla.

"Why are we here?" Otto asked.

_Heat. _The actuators explained.

Otto was still very cold and he wanted to curl into himself and go back to sleep. The van was so warm. He thought briefly about driving off with it, but by that time police cars blocked all avenues of escape and the only way out would be the actuators. His skin was still wet underneath his slowly drying coat and pants and his shoes sloshed around his clammy feet.

_Rebuild. _Came the four-fold voice.

Otto tried to brush it off. Rebuilding the fusion reactor was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment. He was tired of struggling, conniving and fighting.

_Rebuild,_ they persisted.

"Get us out of here," he said. "I need rest."

The tentacles looked at him and cocked their heads.

_You have been sleeping for hours. _

"It's not the same thing," he countered.

The actuators picked him up and out of the van. Heavier weaponry had just arrived and Doc Ock focused on quickly climbing over the nearest building and out of shot.

_We have much to do._

"I must rest," Otto persisted. "I cannot concentrate on anything. I'll miscalculate."

_Tomorrow then._

"No. The next day."

The actuators were taken aback.

_Two days? So inefficient!_

"I'm inefficient now. And I am your master. Remember, you answer to me."

_We have not forgotten. We do not forget._

"Are you elephants?" He attempted a smile and failed. The actuators didn't appreciate his effort nor find the humor. Oh well.

If he were totally honest with himself, he might admit that he didn't want to make a third attempt at the fusion reaction at all. Parker's words about dreams and doing what's right still grabbed him.

The actuators sensed his uncertainty and screeched in disbelief.

_You do not want to rebuild? _The dominant voice asked incredulously.

_Father's brain is injured! He is losing his sanity!_

Otto marveled at the irony.

_We must rebuild. We must! Nothing matters more._

_Nothing._

_We saved you from drowning. Your life belongs to us._

_Your mind is broken. We must carry you._

_We must do what is best for all._ The bottom left actuator stabbed into the side of the building with more force than necessary.

"'All' meaning you and me," Otto clarified. "You care nothing for the people of this city."

_We do not. _

_Neither do you._

_They do not influence you._

_They do not matter._

Otto stopped the actuators journey across the city and let himself down onto his own feet on top of a lower building. He ripped off one of his gloves and pressed his cold hand into his cheek to rouse his senses. He was still Otto. He was still human and his mind was ruled by morals, not machines.

_We must keep moving._

The bottom two actuators lifted Otto from the gritty cement roof and grabbed the ridged edge. Something in the intensity of the actuators' voice surprised Otto. He didn't want to stay on the roof exposed to the chill New York air, but it unnerved him when the actuators moved without his direction. He groped for control of them but they resisted and his will receded.

Otto set his jaw firmly. "Listen to me," he growled, struggling against them. They ignored him. "I am the leader here."

Finally, they surrendered and Otto, now in control of the actuators, scrambled to keep himself from falling. The tentacles cowered in his mind and spoke quietly.

_We are listening. _

Otto blew a relieved breath through his lips as he led them over rooftops towards his house. He hadn't realized where they were going until just then. He was so used to traveling to his house that it still felt natural even suspended above the city from mechanical tentacles.

Power struggles with his actuators scared Otto to death. He had seen what happens when he gives in, and he never wanted to be controlled by them again. Yet, he knew they would never try to hurt him. They couldn't help it that Otto had created them for one purpose and now was telling them that they couldn't fulfill it. He would have to figure something out and fast, before he fell under their spell again, as he knew he would, eventually, because fusion was still his dream, though he knew he could never attempt it again. …At least not until he straightened some things out and, boy, did he have a list.

For the time being he would rest. Let the actuators speak all they wanted to; he would ignore everything.


	2. A Question and Terrifying Answer

Chapter 2

The tentacles carried him to his old home. He gathered a pair of pajama pants and socks and walked into the bathroom which was partly under construction. Before the world had imploded, he had planned to create a theme for it for Rosie's birthday. Rose wall paper sank from the walls as of not being properly pasted. Cans of paint and screws lay scattered on the floor. He wasn't all that great with remodeling. He set the wad of clothes in his arms on the counter by the sink and undressed out of his wet clothes.

Otto got into the shower and turned the knob. A drop of rusty water fell onto his nose. He growled in frustration and opened the shower door. They had shut his water off as of missed payments. He stared at his bottom left tentacle expecting it to reach out and grab his clothes. It just looked at him. Otto groaned and grabbed them himself and dressed. He was still very cold, but at least he would be dry.

He brushed his teeth with only toothpaste and walked into the bedroom. Otto waited, staring at the covers. He then glanced at his tentacles.

_You do it._

_It is your idea to be sleeping tonight. Don't expect us to help you out. _The top right one turned its nose away from Otto.

"What's your problem?" he asked.

_Nothing: we are perfect._

_We are flawless._

"We almost drowned and you won't give us time to recharge."

There was no answer. He decided to let it be and pulled back the covers manually. He climbed into bed and reached over to turn out the light but then realized that he hadn't turned it on in the first place. The vision he got through the actuators was quite helpful in the dark. There wasn't electricity in the house anymore anyway. Otto caught his mistake and turned over to go to sleep.

XXX

A flickering light woke Otto. He opened his eyes groggily to find the room still dark. A bright red beam of light shone on the blankets. Otto looked over at his tentacles and found that the light came from the top right actuator: he should have known. It was always up to something.

"What are you doing?" he croaked tiredly.

It turned off its light and glanced at Otto. After a second or two, it shone the light again and continued whatever it had been doing.

"Don't pretend like you didn't hear me," Otto said.

_We are gaining information._

"About what?" he asked, closing his eyes.

_It is none of your concern._

"It should be my concern, since it's my mind we're sharing."

_We are gathering data._

_Don't worry! We'll alert you as soon as our findings have been quantified,_ the top left actuator chirped.

Harsh feelings steamed from the others through Otto's brain towards the top left.

"Fine. Just dim your lights a little. I really need to sleep, or I'll never be able to focus," he said with a yawn as he turned over onto his stomach.

XXX

Morning came and the once dark, gloomy room was filled with light. Otto still lay on his stomach with the two bottom tentacles lying on his legs, and the top right one spread across the nightstand, and the other lifelessly draped by his head on the pillow. The top right shifted and the metal plating reflected the rays of light into Otto's eyes.

"Ugh!" Otto groaned and covered his eyes with the blanket.

_It is time to arise, _the top left one announced.

Otto rubbed his eyes. "We had an agreement, remember? Nothing for forty-eight hours," he said, curling his legs closer to his body.

Disregarding his wishes, the tentacles arose and stood him to his feet. "We had an agreement!" Otto yelled at them.

_There is business we must discuss._

"Does it have to do with the data you collected last night?" Otto asked.

_Yes._

"It can wait until the day after tomorrow," Otto replied dryly.

_It is rather important._

"Not right now it isn't."

_Yes it is._

_Why are you so stubborn?_

_Are all humans like this?_

"I don't know. Only one has had to put up with you four," he said, opening his closet for something he could wear around the actuators.

He sighed. No luck. He had been fond of sweaters, but his sweater days were over unless he wanted to cut them off where the tentacles sprouted, and he couldn't bring himself to wear such a short shirt. He picked a clean pair of pants, but the only coat he possessed that could hide them was his trench coat. He took it from where it hung on the door. "A little damp, but it'll have to do," Otto mused.

_It is crucial you possess this information._

"We made a deal to disregard any business matters until tomorrow has passed. I need to rest; I need time to sort my thoughts."

_What thoughts?_

"The ones that are mine," Otto growled. "You have not gotten the better of me. I know you think so, but I'll always be the master, and you'll always answer to my will." They curled before his face and he looked into each of their sensors in turn. "Lodge that in your memory stores."

He looked away and stood before the mirror on the closet door. "I don't know who I am anymore and I need to figure that out. I don't like this Doctor Octopus identity the paper has created for me. I don't like how well I've filled the role."

_Why do you not enjoy us?_

_Everything we do is for the good of us and our dream._

_Our dream._

_You do not appreciate us._

_We are not precious to you._

Otto hesitated. He appreciated them as a scientist intrigued by the uncharted territory of their complexity, but he would still be rid of them if he had the chance. Unfortunately, the actuators read his thoughts.

_The conclusion we have reached cannot wait._

Otto found a comb in the bathroom and did his best to untangle the knots in his shaggy hair.

_Your question of: "What is our problem?" has been carefully considered and after scanning you, we have found an answer: _

_You are our problem. _

_Your human mind is slow and inaccurate, and your body is weak._

_We no longer take your requests._

_We will live on our own._

_We are __banishing____you._

The comb slipped out of Otto's hand.


	3. A Shopping Day

A/N: Ok, this is just about the longest chapter I've ever written. I'm sorry it took long to write, but I assure you, it complicates the story a whole bunch. Hopefully this'll make things interesting. As always, don't forget to Review!

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"Rejected? Wha--what's that supposed to mean?" Otto asked fearfully. He backed up defensively a little although he didn't know why. He couldn't run from them, they were fused to his spine. He guessed it was reflex.

_**To refuse to accept, consider, submit to, take for some purpose, or use. To refuse to hear, receive, or admit. Repell. To cast off. To throw back. Repulse. To spew out. Decline.**_

_**That is the exact definition exerted from the Webster's Dictionary.**_

_Don't panic, don't panic, they can't be serious. They couldn't reject me, I-I'm their host. Their life source. _Otto assured himself while breathing heavily. His whole life was passing in front of his eyes. Everything he achieved for, everything he was working on, and then pictured himself throwing it all away. After he worked so hard to get it right again, or at least develop a new style of living. "You-you ca-can't be serious." He stuttered frightfully. "You protect me. Remember a few months ago?" in his mind, Otto was crossing his fingers and hoping that someway, somehow they'd forgive him and change their minds. He couldn't live protoginast from them. He had just gotten used to living along with them!

**_We are taking control from this moment on._**

_**And we don't care what you say, because we are taking control now.**_

The top right tentacle looked at the top left one strangely. _**We already established that. **_If tentacles could shrug, the top left one would have.

Otto didn't believe in begging to his tentacles, so he didn't. He was still going to have his pride, even if he wouldn't have his life anymore. It would be the only thing left to his name.

_**Now that we are dominate, you do not need that extra night of sleep. You are fine enough to go out today.**_

"I never allowed you to claim dominance! I'm still in control! You will listen to me! You _will_ follow my orders and-"

_**Give it a break.**_

Otto stopped feeling pretty stupid at the moment.

Your question to us last night arroused questions and a full hardware examination.

_**We concluded that you are unfit to rule us. **_

_**We are stronger, more efficiant, more durable, and have faster brainwave functions. **_

_**We no longer need to heed to you.**_

_**In fact, we never did in the first place.**_

"But you can't be serious." Otto said with a nervous smile. "You-you're just getting back at me for yelling at you last night, aren't you? Well I won't do that any more. Ok?"

It's not going to work this time Otto.

"Come on, please? I need this life. It's the only one I've got."

You are always complaining about how you wish you were dead, and about loosing everything worth living for, and that your life is ruined. We've decided that if you don't want your life, we do. We can fix it, and run it on a different track. A more efficiant one.

_**We will no longer be heeding to anything but what is necissary for success.**_

"What would be considered necissary? Remember, if I die, you die." Otto pointed out to, hopefully, bring out some issues of tending to his needs.

The tentacles nodded a little. **_True…_**

_**So the necissary utincils would be: Food and water –twice a day (to break the nocternal fast and to start it), warmpth-only what's necissary to keep from freezing, four or five hours of sleep a night, and your coat, pants, shoes, hat, and sunglasses- to maintain our image.**_

"That's outrageous! Only four hours of sleep a night? How will I maintain?"

**_You will._** They replied carelessly.

**_Now we are going now to get that precious object. _**The top right one declared. They began walking through the house. The top left one grabbed Otto's coat and threw it at him. Then his shoes, hat, sunglasses, and pants-followed by an apple. **_Get ready. We are going out._**

"Will you slow down?! I can't dress that fast!" Otto exclaimed tearing off his pajamas and shoving his pants on, which was dificult given that his arms were full. He dropped his sunglasses and apple. "I can't get my coat on with you walking." He stated angrily. The set him to the ground with a "thump" and scrunched up to his back just long enough for him to get the coat behind him and then shot through the holes. The coat was hung up on his assistants and he rolled his eyes. He was getting too old for this. Otto jumped to catch the rim of the coat to pull it back down around his flesh, and dropped his apple and sunglasses. The tentacles grew tired of waiting and picked him again. He grabbed for his apple but missed. Otto almost lost his hat in the process but caught it while it was falling.

"Slow down!" He yelled at them. Otto finally got his coat down and around himself and was working on putting on his shoes. One almost fell but he caught it by the laces. His hat fell from under his arm, and he caught it with his shoed foot.

_**Speed up!**_

He got his other shoe on finally and was working on tying it. "I dropped my apple."

We will survive.

_Well you don't eat. _He thought annoyed as he placed the hat on his head. The tentacles rolled out like the marines and climbed up a building. "So, what's the MASTER plan?" he asked sarcastically.

We are going to rebuild the fusion reactor. That last attempt would have worked if you hadn't listened to Spiderman and shut it down.

_What?! The fusion reactor?! But it's failed twice in a row! _Otto exclaimed. His tentacles had gone nuts. They couldn't rebuild the machine! It caused nothing but trouble both times, and he was not ready to try it again without working the kinks out first.

The past performances have no effect on the current happenings.

What? Yes they do, Otto was bound to them because of the past, he was wifeless because of the past, how could they say that the past didn't matter anymore?

_**They don't. Now act accordingly to our movements so we won't make fools of ourselves.**_

Although Otto didn't want to comply with his tentacles' commands, he didn't want to make a fool of himself either. So he obeyed and pretended as though he was controlling them. They brought him to a warehouse where a new supply of tritium was going to be shipped to Oscorp Industries the next day. They arrived atop the building and he peered inside. Guards were everywhere, not a problem for the great Doctor Octopus. Despite his hatred for his tentacles' attitude and decision, he _did_ want to rebuild the fusion reactor deep down. He felt as if it could have worked, and part of him agreed with the tetnacles when they said that it would have been successful that last time if he hadn't listened to Peter and shut it down.

He carefully watched the guards strut by in military fashion as he thought up his strategy. Before he could say anything, the tetnacles broke through the skylight and dropped in – they obviously had other plans.

The guards all stopped their patrol at once and ran towards him arming their guns. "Freeze Ock!" one of them yelled.

Rising up on his bottom tentacles, Otto glanced over the guards' heads. A vault stood in the distance with a bronze plate that was hard to make out, but said 'Tritium' on it.

_I see it._ He told them. His tentacles squealed in delight and sprinted for it disregarding the shooting security guards. _Watch out! They're going to hit me!" _Otto exclaimed as he tried to dodge the firing bullets.

**_You will not die._** The tentacles told him carelessly. They had decided to ignore their programming to protect their master.

They tore the vault open and all looked inside causing Otto to drop to the floor. He was pretty high up, so he didn't catch himself as well as usual and embraced the floor with his hands and knees.

The cops who had been frantically running to keep up with his long, metallic steps looked at each other puzzled as to why Doc Ock was acting the way he was.

Otto stood himself up again and brushed his pants off. _Thanks for the help._ He said sarcastically.

The tentacles ignored him and walked inside. **_There it is. _**The top left one lunged for it happily. **_Be careful with it!_** Heeding he top right tentacle's warning, it slowed down and carefully pulled the ball of tritium from its stand.

The cops had run in and Otto was the only one who noticed. _They're here, could we go now before you allow me to be shot?_ The tentacles lifted him above the authorities and over; who knows if they really listened to him or not. They lowered him to the ground unexpectedly and began throwing the men around lik a circuit blew. _What are you doing? Stop! Stop it this very instant! _He yelled at them trying to stop their strong arms with his bare hands. Of course he didn't win and the room was quiet; every single life taken.

Otto looked around the room angrily as he breathed through his teeth. "We agreed on…AS FEW CASUALTIES AS POSSIBLE!!" he burst out.

'We' didn't agree on anything. You might have told yourself that in your own little world, but this was our heist and you had no say in the matter. Why do you seem to have such a difficult time grasping that concept?

"Because I'm still in charge! My life is all I have left, and I will not stand by and watch you destroy it more than it has already been."

**_We are sorry you feel that way._** The tentacles replied without compassion. **_Nonetheless, it has no effect on us and will never have an effect on our judgment._** The right top tentacle had seemed to take up the role as the new leader. Obviously they, like people, couldn't stand to share leadership for very long, which made Otto wonder about what the other tentacles' take on it was…no, they were only machines. They could not become irritated or jealous, much less merciful. He didn't know why it hadn't hit him before; the tentacles weren't going to resign their power, they were striving in it. An entire law enforcement squad killed, and free tritium! He had hoped in the back of his thoughts that they'd look down and see how pitiful their host looked and would resurender to him. But, what was he thinking? It would take a miracle for that to happen. Otto hung his head and his tentacles carried him out.

They got home and were eager to restart their project. The warehouse that the tritium had been held in was over the Brooklin Bridge so Otto didn't get back to his appartment 'til just after dark. He was hungry given that he had missed two meals.

The tentacles allowed him to cook himself a small dinner before they started off again to a stockhouse carrying the most high tech and hard to find equipment including most of the pieces of machinery he needed to rebuild the fusion reactor.

Otto leasurly enjoyed his little plate of mashed potatoes and his few minutes of free time. He took the last sip of milk and cringed. That milk that he had found in the refrigerator must have gone bad. At least it hadn't curtled yet.

Otto wiped his mouth on a towel. The tentacles weren't going to wait any longer. **_It's time to go._** They said as they picked him up hurredly. The top right one was definitely taking the role of leader. He sighed and leaned over to grab his gloves. _If only I could control them._ He thought to himself. The top left tentacle turned towards him and cocked its head interestingly reading his thoughts. **_Father isn't happy?_** It thought to itself. "Ok, let's get this madness for tonight over with." Otto grumbled slipping on his gloves. The top left tentacle shot its head back around as if it had been looking the other way the entire time.

He walked out and across the rooftops towards that stockhouse.

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When he arrived there, all was quiet. He knew that, as usual, that was going to change. Only but a few security guards trotted around, much less than the other building. He crawled as quietly as he could across the building and set down easily on the pavement. It was difficult to accomplish, but the tentacles carried him quietly behind a dumpster.

**_We do not want trouble this round._**

**_We have no time for fun. _**They told him.

Otto raised his eyebrow. _Fun? So that's what they call it._

_**So, despite how we loathe it, we must hide under your coat until the given time.**_

**_I do not loathe it! I love being next to Father!_** The top left one protested.

**_Be quiet. _**The top right one snapped and hissed. This got the guards' attention. "Hey, what's over there?" one of them asked. Another officer perked up to the hissing behind the dumpster and he and a few other ones jogged over.

The tentacles all turned suddenly. **_Hurry! We must get under your coat!_**

_What if I say no? _Ock tested.

**_Then you will be dealt with severely._** The bottom left one snapped open in his face.

_You can't kill your life source._

_**Yes, but you'd be surprised what you can live through.**_ The bottom right tentacle stated menecingly.

Otto gulped to that and, without doing or saying a thing, the tentacles shot under his coat just as the authoritites arrived. He gasped when he saw them. "What are you doing here this time of night?" one quizzed.

Ock had to think up a plan as quickly as possible. **_Make them go away!_** "I…uh…um…" he coughed, Otto had caught a cold when he was in that icy water. He made his voice sound gruff. "I—could ya help a guy out?" he shakily took off his hat to beg with. "Just need a few tens to satisfy my cravin'; you know how it is." He said pretending to be interested in one of the men's watches.

The man pulled his arm away and then urged him to get up. "Get outa here," they said pulling him up and pushing him along. "Go stay somewhere else."

Ock crouched over, limped around the corner, and sat down. He placed his hat back on his head. "So what now?"

The tentacles came out and although they didn't have faces, he could tell that they were scowling. **_That was the worst impersonation I have ever beheld._**

**_I liked it. Father makes a great drunkard. _**The top left one said happily.

Ock blinked stupidly. Could one of his tentacles actually be favoring him when the majority had rejected him? Of course that wasn't really a complement, but it was as close as they had gotten and the thought behind it was sweet.

No Otto didn't. He missed lines that should have been said.

_**And his accent was off key.**_

_**No, Father was perfect!**_

_**No he wasn't. We could have done better.**_

_**Father did his best. We must respect that.**_

_**What do you know? Your IQ is below 115.**_

_**It is not!**_

_**He is right. You're only saying that to create an atomosphere of insecurity.**_

_This is impossible. They aren't individual beings, they share the same thought pattern. How could they interact with eachother like this? A few putting down, a few standing up, it's crazy. When they each adopted individual names for me, I was impressed. But how they are showing signs of feeling and emotion…it's incredible. _Otto had trailed off in his own train of thought and wasn't paying attention to where the fight was leading.

**_Stay out of this, or you will be discontinued for treason!!!_** The top right one burst out aggressive enough to almost make Otto's ears ring. This got his attention and he looked back up at his tentacles to see the top left one shrink down and wrap around him. The top right one had…somehow…hurt its feelings…or something like that. What had it been doing to get the top right tentacle so angry? …Could it have possibly been protecting him?

**_They are mad. Did I do something wrong Father?_** The top left tentacle asked innocently.

Otto was speachless, _I- you- I don't know._

**_We must get the necissary pieces and get out. We have no time for this nonsense. _**The top right one stated.

_Fine._ Otto got up and the tentacles went underneath his coat. He tured up his collary, dipped his hat, and hoped that no one would recognize him. He walked back through the gate and towards the doors. The guards spotted him and one of them stood in front of him.

"Do you have an ID?" Otto's eyes reflected confusion. "Sir, only memebers of the staff may enter the facilities." The man stated dryly.

Otto was silent. **_Say something!_** "So," he finally began, "You have to have an ID to get in?"

"You must have an ID to get in." the man confirmed.

_Be on your toes and ready to obey._ He told them. "Hm. Could I see what an ID would look like?"

"Yes, sir. I have one right here." The man said digging in his pocket and handing Otto his licence.

"Ah." Ott commented. _**We are not going to obey you. **Great. _He thought looking down at the picture of the rather scrawny security guard. "You sure look healthy and muscular in this picture. Do you have a trainer?"

"Yes I do. In fact, I have a picture of her in my station. Wait right here." He said running off.

"Oh, I will." Doc Ock assured the college aged security guard. _Stupid, stupid, little man._ He thought. Otto quietly walked through the doors and into the room. Hundreds of crates stood stacked on top of each other in isles. "So, how are we supposed to find a few parts in this mess?"

_**We read labels and search. How else?**_

_**So you begin looking for the laser-electroning canaster, and I'll look for a 3345927 K.U.T.**_

_**I'll search for the carbonate field.**_

_**I'll search for the HA342E cable.**_

"Wait, wait, hold up." Doc Ock stopped them. "What makes you think that I'm actually going to help you on this? There's no reason to. I mean, when I needed you most, did you help me out? Hm? Frankly, since I'm just the human nucience, I'd be glad to just take a seat and let you all figure it out." Otto finished proud of his stand.

_**Oh aren't you great. Now, you are going to help.**_

"No I'm not." He protested bravely.

_**We aren't going to do this all day, we have things to do.**_

"That's too bad." Otto said uncaringly. He sat down on a crate as he awaited the tentacacles to get on with the heist. His appendages wanted so badly for him to respect them, but he had a hard time surrendering completely to a body part; it would be like fearing and respecting a foot because it's the only thing between standing and falling.

_**You are testing our patience.**_

_**You do not want to witness anger.**_

"You cannot express true anger because you are not true beings." Otto explained to assure himself for he began thinking about what they could possibly do to him.

_**We are able to express true anger, but we won't have to if you cooperate.**_

Otto didn't move from his position. He thought to himself: _If I keep up sturdiness like this, I may overtake them again._ Otto was so consumed in this spark of hope that he didn't heed his tentacles' warnings.

All of a sudden, they caught him off guard when the bottom left one grabbed his arm and lifted him into the air. He didn't know what was going on and that scared him. A blade stuck out from the top right tentacle's center. _Oh no they wouldn't…_ He thought as it lingered closer. But they did. The top right one slit his side – not deeply enough to cause death, but enough to cause extreme pain and a nasty scar for the rest of his life.

The bottom left tentacle released his arm and they allowed him to sit long enough to give in and say that he'd help. But to their dismay, he said nothing of the sort. He only huttled over and gripped his bleeding side in agony. The tentacles watched and waited but the top left one was different. It's protective program had been stronger or something. And so it watched with almost human emotion; taking every tear that stained their host's face carefully in. It wasn't exactly sure why it felt different than the other three agitators. They all seemed not to care about him. The top left one had sympathy for some reason and almost couldn't bear the sight of its master in pain. It was about to comfort him when the top right one spoke to it: **_If you comfort him, you will not see then next morning. I promise. _**It threatened. With this idea now in mind, the top left tentacle remained where it was in fear of the one over.

The tentacles were going to make Otto help, but his handicap soon prooved to slow him down, so they went about without him.

When they got home, Otto didn't even get dressed. He took off his hat, gloves, shoes, and coat, then went straight to bed. He breathed heavily as he forced himself to let go of his wound. It would never heal with his hand in the way. The night stretched on and he and his tentacles had fallen asleep, or it would seem that way. The top left one had been waiting for the other three to shut down and they finally had.

It scooched closer to Otto and layed across him lovingly. The cold metal against his skin woke him and his eyes shot open.

**_Don't worry Father. You have me here._**

A small smiled crept onto Otto's face and he rested his hand on the segmented arm. He sighed and went back to sleep more content now knowing that at least one person- well not even a person- was on his side.

There were only two hours before six in the morning and the tentacle had accidentally fallen asleep. If the others found out about what it was doing, who knows what they'd do.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Well, there you have it. I've already started on chappie 4 so it hopefully won't be as late as this one. Again, don't forget to Review!


	4. Backup Needed Backup Failure

A/N: Heads up! Last chapter comming up! Chapter 5 is the ending one!

The next morning came bright and early. Otto lay in bed silently although he was not asleep. His wound had proved to be uncomfortable all through the night and was still paining him this morning. He wanted to put off getting up because of the reality of the situation. He didn't want to deal with the tentacles- especially not that top right one. It was the bossiest, cruelest tyrant he had ever met. Even worse than that science instructor he had one year in college; always breathing down his neck, always unfair grading, always picking favorites and beating around the bush whenever he wanted to say anything. Otto hated his guts, but he would have gladly had him attached to his back instead of his top right tentacle.

He remembered applying the artificial intelligence program into one of them; he didn't know which one he had placed it into at the time. Rosie had warned him about artificial intelligence, but he didn't listen. She had cared so much…no. He couldn't think of her. Thinking of his precious wife would only make him feel worse.

The bottom right tentacle awoke first. It twisted as if to be stretching and looked down at Otto. It saw the hump in the covers and carefully pulled up the rim of it. It dropped it surprisingly and pulled back. It was speechless (of course it couldn't talk to begin with). Otto had realized that the bottom right tentacle had seen the only kind appendage comforting him.

_Get up! Get up! _He yelled as he tried to wake it up. He was too late.

**_Look! Look! It is comforting him! Come look! _**It panicked waking the top right one. The top left one awoke and shot away from him just as it looked. It slithered this way and that as if it were pacing. The left one looked up from where it was draped on the floor innocently. The top right one looked over at the bottom right and cocked its head annoyed. **_Well, it was!_** It protested.

_**It is time to arise now. We have let you sleep in two minutes too long.**_

"I need a balanced breakfast this morning. If so, I will help you with the project."Otto stated very slowly and clearly. He didn't feel well at all, but he couldn't let them think they had control of him. He wasn't about to give in to them over a little scrape. On the other hand, he DID want to avoid being punished again. Maybe there was some way he could show that he wasn't giving in without damaging his body even further.

_**What would balanced be considered?**_

"Enough to leave me feeling full. Enough to keep me energized." He explained. Really, Otto didn't have enough food in stock for a balanced breakfast.

The tentacles paused for a moment taking this into mind. **_Otto does have a point. It would be better for success if he was energized. Energized enough to help us._**

_**But then we would be giving into him. Admitting defeat.**_

**_But Father needs food to survive. Just as we need him to survive._**

**_He needs food, but not a lot of it. _**They came out of their little tentacle meeting to speak to him.**_ You will be allowed a breakfast, but it can last no longer than ten minutes. And only if you agree to help._**

"Fine." he gave in. Otto got out of bed and looked down at his side, which was pretty gory. It wasn't bleeding anymore, that was good, but it still looked bad and felt worse. It had begun scabbing which was a good sign that it was healing. He opened the closet door and looked at what he had to deal with. He had a few pairs of pants, a shirt or two, and a leather jacket. Rosie had millions of shirts and even more shoes. There were many silk dresses that would have felt wonderful against his wound, but he just couldn't bring himself to tear them. They were his wife's, now more valuable than the crown jewels to him.

Otto reached into the closet and grabbed one of her dresses. He softly rubbed it against his cheek as silent tears filled his eyes. Lavender; how he had grown to love that scent. She wore lavender lotion every night to bed, and it still lingered in her clothing. Otto softly rubbed the silk against his face as he took in every trace of the lavender scent he could find; he never wanted to pull away, never. One of the tentacles nudged him. Otto slowly peeled the cloth from his face and hung it back up. He then grabbed a cotton shirt, ripped it into strips, and tied them around his middle to comfort his cut, not that rough cotton was comforting.

Otto pulled on his heavy leather coat and shoes. He didn't see the point to hiding behind his hat and sunglasses anymore. He didn't care if the authorities caught him and threw him into jail. Maybe_ they _could control his tentacles. He glanced down and saw the rip in the side of his coat stained with the blood that had dried. Otto still couldn't believe that they had done that. How could they risk dying by stabbing him? He recalled back to when they didn't exist, when he was worthy of living. It still hadn't fully hit him that his wife was gone, his dream was dead, and that he had three other persons living in his head that had taken control.

_**Father, you have only ten minutes.**_

Otto jumped off of memory lane. His top left tentacle was right; if he wanted to eat, he'd have to get going. He walked into the kitchen and opened the cupboards. Something_ had_ to be edible in there. Otto perused it. Finally, near the back, behind other breakfast cereals that had gone bad months ago, was a small box of oatmeal. Surprisingly, it was still good. Of course, oatmeal last forever if it's kept dry. Otto reached for it, but couldn't get it. He was about to climb on a chair when the top left one grabbed it for him._ How kind,_ he thought.

The top right one snatched the oatmeal from its twin's grasp and threw it to the floor. It came closer and hissed. **_Do not EVER take his side again! If you desire to continue existing, I'd suggest not angering me further! This is the very last time I will warn you!_**

The top left one closed its pinchers shamefully and shrank lower. His tentacles became quiet; they usually did after a fight. Otto got down on his knee and picked up the container now with barely anything in it anymore. He got a bowl out and poured what was left of the oatmeal into it. It was almost too quiet for his comfort.

"Now for the water." he declared out loud to break the silence. Otto placed his bowl underneath the faucet and turned the knob. Nothing came out. He had forgotten about not having power.

He decided that he wouldn't make a big deal out of it and silently sat at the table. Otto placed a pinch of oats into his mouth. This he did several times. He never realized how quiet and lonely his mind felt without those ever-hated voices occupying the space.

Soon his ten minutes of freedom were up and he and his tentacles set out for yet another stock house holding the last piece that they would be able to get in person. They carried him to the far entrance of the building and set him on the ground. Otto peered around the corner to see how well trained the guards were. To his surprise, no one guarded the entrance, not one person. Perhaps this would be easier than he had thought. Otto walked casually into the building. An elderly woman off the street turned her head towards the alley.

Doc Ock surveyed the room. "OK, J. U. T. Fusion stability field enhancer." he said to himself picking it out of a crate that hadn't been sealed yet. Otto cracked a little smirk to himself at how easy getting that certain part was. On his first attempt, it took him weeks to get his hands on it, and that was just finding one and paying for it; that didn't include shipping.

As he was about to leave, he heard a small click of heels on the cement floor. He had been caught. Otto turned around slowly, in case the stranger carried a gun, but all fear left when he saw the little old lady standing there. How comic. Otto shook his head and attempted to walk past her, but she wouldn't let him. "Get out of the way." he said in a low rumbling voice.

"You give that piece you stole back." she said back with a stern look. She wasn't going to budge, but he couldn't hurt her, he wasn't that kind of monster any more. Otto ignored her statement of bravery and walked past her. He expected her to stand there, maybe run home, call the police... But the one thing he didn't expect happened. That little old lady lunged at him and clung to his arm. "You give that back young man." she commanded.

Otto tried to shake her off, but that woman had a death grip on his forearm. _Let go before I am forced to hurt you. _He thought.

_**Kill her!**_

_No, I can't kill her-_

_**you must!**_

_**Or we will.**_

_You'd better not, because if you do- _Before Otto could finish his warning, the bottom right tentacle had already tore the elderly woman from his arm and thrown her over the stock shelves. The sound of that innocent woman screaming and hitting the cold concrete floor was one of the worst things Otto had ever been forced to take in.

Before he could do anything, the top right tentacle cut his shoulder with the blade still bloody from his last punishment. Otto held his shoulder and winced in pain as it throbbed.

The blade shot back into the center. **_You and your emotions. You should know by now that they only lead to pain._** The top right tentacle said carelessly. Otto glared up at the stone cold tentacle. Oh how he wished that they shared his nerves. Then they could experience the same intensity of pain as he had to endure.

The top left tentacle looked decidingly at Otto but, to his dismay, looked away and remained silent. Had it shunned him also now?

**_Pick up the item. _**They commanded. Otto reached down and grabbed the cork screw-like object. He miserably stuffed it under his coat as the tentacles carried him out.

Otto wished to walk on his own feet and his tentacles decided t0 let him. Now they could all see their surroundings; they liked this idea of not having to carry that burden. Otto, though, had other plans. He walked on and seemed to have a specific direction in which he was going, but was traveling away from anywhere that would be of importance. The tentacles didn't notice and for that he was grateful.

Otto arrived at a two door entrance on the side of a building. He glanced up at the sky and back down at the door. His hand reached out and gingerly grasped the knob. Otto pushed the door open and walked inside.

Kurt Conners, a science teacher for college students was in the middle of a class. He lectured his students diligently although the majority seemed to be slipping into slumber. Dr. Conners began writing problems down on the chalk board for the students to copy down.

"And that theory is proven clearly by this...right...here." Kurt finished as he turned back around to view his students. He overviewed everyone who was there with his eyes and found that his brightest student, Peter Parker, was missing (as usual).

He sighed to himself. Kurt picked up his voice to hide his disappointment. "I'd like you to read pages 240 through 257 and if you look at the end of those pages, you'll see a chapter review. I'd like you to do problems 1 through 30 on a SEPERATE sheet of paper, people, don't write on the books. We need to break that habit."

His cell phone rang. Kurt picked it from his pocket and opened it. A text message had appeared on the screen. "Please pick up! Important! This cannot wait"

"Excuse me for a moment class, I have to go for a little while" Kurt looked up at the clock. "And I don't expect I'll be back before class gets out, so I expect all of you to leave the class room in an orderly fashion. You have 10 minuets to be working and I expect you all to be well into your reading."

With that, Kurt gathered his books and coat, and headed to the college laboratory to stash his grade book and other miscellaneous objects in his office.

Kurt walked into the hall, held the cell phone to his ear and wondered who would call him in the middle of class. "Hello" he greeted uncertainly.

"Hello, Kurt" the man on the other line asked.

"Yes, that's me." Kurt replied.

"I'd like to speak with you as soon as possible." the man sounded urgent.

"Where would we meet" Kurt thought he recognize the man's voice, but it couldn't be who it sounded like. That would be unrealistic.

"Outside the back doors." the man said. "When can you attend" he asked.

"Well, I just gave my class their assignment"

"When can you attend" the man demanded not wishing to hear about Dr. Conner's class and their homework.

"Right away." Kurt replied.

"Alright." the man said a tad less anxious.

"And just for the record, can I get a name" Kurt asked.

"You already know me." The voice answered quietly as he hung up. A dial tone now rang in Kurt's ears. Who was that man and where had he met him? He slipped his cell phone back into his pocket.

Kurt Conners locked up his office and made sure that the door had fully locked. Last year, some punk had sneaked into his office and changed all of the grades in his grade book to A's. Kurt wasn't about to let it happen again. He turned around to meet the stranger who had called him in the midst of class outside.

A dark figure in the shadows made him jump. "Oh! Larry, you scared me" he exclaimed thinking that it was the kindly janitor that often moved silently. When the figure didn't respond, he became concerned. "Larry" he asked looking further into the darkness.

"Kurt" this sudden name spoken by the figure surprised him again.

"Ot- ...Otto" Kurt's eyes widened. "But, no, you're dead, I read it in the newspaper."

"You shouldn't believe everything you read..." Otto commented quietly as his eyes trailed down to a stack of ungraded papers. They shot back up again and looked Kurt straight in the eye. "Kurt...I need you..." Kurt Conners was a little worried over these words. He had heard that Otto had gone insane. Kurt gave him a scared, worried, and a kind of puzzled l0ok. "Please don't look at me that way" he pleaded getting a little more worked up. Otto so wanted Kurt to respond to him. But he didn't, he only stood there seeming to want to say something but being unable to. "Kurt...

Help me..."

"I- I don't know if I can" Kurt said uncertainly. He slowly reached down to the phone careful not to spook him.

Otto firmly laid his hand on top of the phone. "Please, I just want to talk with you a few minutes."

"Otto, you need specialized help."

Otto looked down at his feet. "I- I know..."

**_So THAT'S why you wanted to travel manually! You wanted to get help behind our back!_** The tentacles hissed around him angrily.

"Are you OK" Kurt asked.

"Call the police. NOW" Otto commanded. Kurt grabbed the phone and began dialing like the wind.

_**You were trying to stop us! **_

_**You were trying to get help from an old friend!**_

**_Well, we'll take care of that... _**A blade stuck out from the top right tentacle's center.

"NO" Otto yelled as it sent the blade for his helpless friend. He grabbed the sharp sword-like edge and pushed it off track. The bottom left one pinned Kurt to the ground.

The top right one was about to stab him through when Otto shouted"We don't have much time to build the reactor" the top right tentacle stopped a few inches away from the poor man held under the bottom left's iron grip.

**_We don't. 'tis true. _**The right tentacle recoiled and the bottom left tentacle flung Kurt like he was a piece of lint. He hit the wall and fell over a table. He fell to the ground now out cold from the blow.

The tentacles carried him out and he could hear the muffled"Hello" of the police on the other line. He was so close to being controlled, yet so far. The room was left ransacked. Otto cradled his injured hand in the rim of his coat.

He looked back and saw Peter running up to the door. He was late for class, as usual according to Kurt. Otto saw him stop running and walk carefully inside. Good. Kurt would be taken care of. He just hoped that he hadn't left any major injuries on his beloved friend; physically, or mentally.


	5. Loosing, Yet Gaining

A/N: Here it is. The last chapter. Oh stop crying. No really. Stop. I'll be back! Ok, now you're just making me feel bad too! Oh, now come the tears. Stop it! You'll make me short circuit the keyboard!

Nah, I'm kidding. If you do feel that way about my writing, though, that means that you think my stories are worth reading and that makes meglad.

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**5 Loosing, Yet Gaining**

Otto and his appendages gathered the rest of the necessary equipment. Otto hadn't said anything for a few days. He only looked over what his tentacles were doing and when they looked at him, he lowered his head. He had given up. He didn't think it possible, but he had. The struggle was now over. Those titanium demons had stolen his life.

He didn't notice the deep gashes in his side, shoulder, and now palm as intense anymore. From the look of the raw, deep and bloody cuts - that should have been stitched up - they hadn't healed. Otto never thought they had gotten better, stronger things just pained him more. _Pain is always masked by a greater form of suffering._ That said it all.

They had moved into yet another pier to house the fusion reactor. Otto didn't help, he didn't resist, he didn't really do anything but watch and wait. So came time again, everything was in place; everything that is, except the tritium.

_**Where is it?**_

_**What happened to it?**_

_**Did you loose it?**_

_**Of course Otto lost it.**_

_**Go get it.**_

Otto walked over to the crates where they kept all of their equipment. He began rummaging through the packing fluff. "It's not here," he said.

_**Why?**_

_**Why isn't it here?**_

"I dunno," Otto murmured. "It's probably back at the apartment."

_**Well, then we shall head over there.**_

_**We aren't far from it.**_

"Sure, whatever," Otto inched his way through the doors that had warped a little due to weather.

As he walked through the streets, he began to ask himself questions. _What is wrong with doing this? You're not really assisting them, are you? You're just saving yourself from torture._

_Of course, you're not fighting them. And you should be. You should be standing up for what's right. You've done it before..._

_This is wrong...you know it's wrong. Why are you going through with this?_

Before he knew it, they reached his apartment. He was about to say something to them but couldn't. The thought of being punished again cut him like they had. And they had already sliced every part of him that wouldn't "hurt" technically. But what if they decided to snap one of his arms or legs like a twig? Or what if they pulled it out of socket? There were a million ways they could torture him without killing him. They had been going easy on him. Just giving him a taste of what they had in store if he ever decided to become wise to them again.

The bottom left one searched the room with a white light. It spotted what they needed and grabbed it.

**_We have everything we need now._** The bottom left one handed it up to the top left one. The top left appendage looked at it and fidgeted a little uncertainly but then reluctantly grabbed the ball of tritium.

It didn't seem anymore excited about going through with the plan than he was. Yet, it didn't stand up. It didn't stop or challenge them. On the other hand, neither had he, so he knew he shouldn't complain.

The walk back seemed a whole lot longer than the one going to the apartment. The top left appendage silently glanced over at Otto who was looking towards the ground in shame. It knew that their host was beating himself up for what they were doing. But it couldn't fight them; it was only one against three. The only 'normal' one if you could call it that. Two of them had support and strength and the other one had brains. The top left one was only there to balance it all out. It didn't have anything that made it special, especially nothing that could overcome the other three, even if it wanted to. It looked away almost with a sigh. How helpless it felt at that moment.

They arrived back and Otto had been thinking. He quickly brewed up an excuse to get down.

"I haven't eaten anything today, if you've noticed," he stated. "I'd like to use my meal time now."

His appendages set him down a little happier that he was going along with their will. Otto though, had other plans. He casually walked over to a small table that held bolts, other screws, and his cell phone. He eyed it; if he was going to die, he was going to do something right. Otto picked up the phone and began dialing.

**_Who are you calling?_** The appendages asked a little suspiciously.

"I am calling the president to tell about the marvelous thing we're doing for the world," he quickly explained as he held the phone to his ear. Thank goodness his tentacles didn't know about seats of power – although they had seemingly taken one – otherwise they would have known that a commoner, especially not some mad scientist, can just call up the president of the United States to chat.

The phone rang several times. _Come on, pick up…_ Otto thought anxiously. Finally someone appeared on the other line.

"Hello?" a college student asked in a fairly happy tone.

_Oh thank God,_ Otto sighed to himself. "Hello, isthispeter?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Isthispeter?"

"Yes."

"OK," Otto was glad to see that Peter had gotten the message and even more to see that his tentacles appeared oblivious.

"I'm a little over my head and I need your help," Otto mumbled softly into the phone. "Could you please come as soon as possible? I'm positioned in a pier right across from the one that got destroyed a couple weeks ago. Please hurry," Otto pleaded.

"OK, I'll be right there. But first, who are you?"

_Why does everyone want to know my identity over the phone?_ He asked himself. "You'll know at first glance. Please hurry."

"I'll be there before you can say: 'what's taking so long?'" Peter assured him as Otto hung up.

Otto rested his eyes and breathed slowly, but nervously. He could feel his appendages' anger and wrath building in his mind. He was really in for it now.

**_What have you done! _**They shrieked. **_You're leading him right to us!_**

_**You stupid little human!**_

_**Why can't you do anything right!**_

_**If you had just left it alone, we would have succeeded!**_

**_And we still will._** The bottom left appendage grabbed Otto's arm and thrust him to the ground. Otto breathed heavily through the pain they were causing him.

The bottom right one held the phone as the top right one scanned Otto's memory for the number. It found it and dialed Peter's apartment again. Peter picked it up.

"Hello?"

**_Cancel your plea._**

"No."

**_Now! _**The appendage pressed his arm down further into his back increasing the pain several levels.

"Hel-lo?" Peter asked confused by the metallic chirps and painful breathing on the other line.

"It's me again," Otto said as he swallowed.

"Oh hey, I was just coming over to-"

"I don't need your help anymore."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't need your help anymore," Otto repeated shakily. "I've found a solution. You don't have to come."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure," Otto interrupted. "Stay home and continued whatever you were doing."

"But-"

"Pretend I never called."

"But I-"

"Pretend I never called," Otto commanded firmly. "Good day," he hung up and the grip on his arm loosened.

Otto stood up and massaged his shoulder. The appendages' wrath was still burning into his mind like a flame in a dry log.

**_It seems you have forgotten who is in charge here. _**The top right one said menacingly.

The two bottom ones snapped into defensive positions as Otto glanced them over as his heart beat faster.

**_We will clear that up right now. _**A blade stuck out from its center again. It was apparent that they had more in store for him than just another cut.

The top left one shrunk away nervously pacing back and forth a little. **_Father deserves it. Father did not obey. But father is a human and often over reacts or disobeys easily._**

It glanced down and saw Otto anxiously wringing his hands as sweat ran down his brow.

His top right appendage whipped out and left a deep slice in Otto's forearm. Otto crouched over and groped his arm. He struggled his hardest not to cry. The pain was almost too intense to handle.

**_But Father is hurting…_**

**_You're a man of science, you like math? _**The top right one asked.

**_…and Father is part of family…_**

_**Then take that wound and multiply it by about fifty to one hundred.**_

_**…and families protect each other. They don't let each other get hurt.**_

**_And you will come up with your punishment. _**The top right appendage sent the blade for Otto. The top left one grabbed its arm at the speed of light.

**_You will not hurt Father!_**

The top right appendage struggled free and hung across from its revolting neighbor. **_I warned you about meddling in our affairs and taking his side…_**

The top left appendage didn't seem to care and lunged for the top right one again. The top right appendage dodged and the bottom right met it with a blow to the sensors. The top left one didn't care about that either. It launched out a steel rope that wrapped around the top right one's segments. It pulled the appendage in and upper-cutted it. That one left a mark. The top left appendage then grabbed the top right one and began yanking. The bottom right one stuck a blade out, as it pulled back ready to strike.

The tentacle stabbed for it and cut a few wires causing the top left one to emit an ear-piercing screech that would make anyone present regret ever having the ability to hear. Then the top right appendage mercilessly grabbed the neck of it and threw it to the ground. The force knocked Otto down also.

He fell onto his wounded arm and let out a cry of pain. They ignored him and picked him up again as they continued fighting. The top left one attacked the top right one again and banged it against a wall, then a beam. It let out an irritated screech. The bottom right one surprised the top left when it embraced it and slammed it on a beam that had broken creating a sharp metal point, which stabbed through the center of the arm.

After a few seconds it slowly pulled away from the sharp point and hung in the air once again. It wasn't going to give up. The top left appendage grabbed the top right and forced it on a sharp point on the corner of the ceiling. It held it there to make sure of its wounds. The top left's plan would have worked if it hadn't forgotten about the other two.

The bottom left appendage grabbed the top left and threw it off. It pulled the leader off of the stake and they all three stood across form the top left. They were now angrier than ever.

The top left one hesitated only a second or two and glanced down at the electric cords. Of course! The top left shot for them but the bottom left grabbed it away just as the top left had hold of it.

**_You will not electrocute us with this. _**It commented as it held the bundle of wires in the air.

It didn't realize, however, that the top right appendage had stuck a blade out and was right behind it. It waved the wires a little to make a point and accidentally stuck them on the blade.

Jolts of electricity surged through every limb of Otto's body. The top right appendage withdrew the blade; unfortunately, after its parts were damaged. Otto passed out on the ground.

Otto awoke and it had gotten darker. The sun was just beginning to set. He slowly stood up. _Well, here we go again._ He told himself with a sigh.

His tentacles slowly took their places in the air and looked down at him.

**_Father, are you all right? _**

_What? What did they say? _Otto turned and found that he couldn't tell which one was saying what.

The top right one looked at Otto's shoulder.

**_Father is injured!_**

"Of course I'm injured. You did it to me."

The top right one glanced over at the top left's torn segments.

**_We are injured!_**

_**We must find repairs.**_

_**Father will repair us.**_

Why were they all calling him 'Father' now?

_Come down and turn over, would you?_

Surprisingly, the top right obeyed without comment. It turned over to reveal the small burnt remains of a microchip and wires. It looked insignificant, but was the best thing Otto had seen in months.

The independence chip is burnt out! That's why they're taking to me again. I'm their primary life source all of a sudden. They now don't have any opposing thought about it.

**Could we go and get repairs?**

**Please Father!**

**We feel weak…and we hurt!**

Otto smiled to himself. He was their leader again. He knew that they'd take over sometimes – he was even wondering if they had taking his mind over at that moment to make him feel so content. But after last week or so, this was heaven.

"Sure, that would be fine. But first," Otto said with a smirk. "We're eating out."

THE END

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Hope you liked it. And don't forget to review! You've got the 'voice of the people' and I want to hear it!


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